African American Individualism

America’s founding documents form the bedrock of the United States. Their truths are self-evident, but they are also revolutionary and innovative—they remain as important to affirming freedom, protecting liberty, and promoting equality as ever.

A community is a social group whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a cultural and historical heritage.. The book A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. Is about a young black man named Jefferson in 1947 Louisiana who is used as a scapegoat for a local murder. He must face his upcoming execution and is helped by Grant Wiggins the local teacher and Reverend Ambrose the local clergyman. What makes a strong community is the practice of acceptance and responsibility. Gaines demonstrates this through Jefferson’s transformation , Grant’s support and Rev. Ambrose belief. Three characters in this story teach us about acceptance and responsibility. Jefferson has to keeps his head high and not beg for his life

In this paper I discuss the African-American culture in regards to values, norms and beliefs.

Africans have, since the early settlement of America, has had a great influence in the nation’s growth. These contributions to the United States from enslaved Africans have been greatly portrayed in American culture. Varying from cuisine, to song and dance are not only portrayed today but it has a deep-rooted impact throughout the United States. During the middle passage, enslaved Africans were forced to abandon their everyday lives, their families and their homes and forced to adapt to a new lifestyle they knew nothing of. However, upon arrival into the New World, due to their prior knowledge and wisdom from back home, they were able to quickly adapt and custom themselves to this new lifestyle in order to survive with the hope of potentially one day returning back to Africa. Unfortunately, African contributions to the culture of the United States has received little to no recognition and it has been taken credit for by Europeans and Whites since the early establishment of the United States.

"You're one of the clean black people, so my grandma says it's OK if I play with you," my childhood friend said to me. What did that mean, "clean black people?" Are some of us dirty? I knew her comment was an insult, but my 7-year-old mind tied itself into knots trying to figure out a response. I had none. I just said "Oh" and we started playing with my Barbies."

Collective African American spending power exceeds $1 trillion dollars annually. Because of this economic reality, a wide variety of companies/corporations having ongoing marketing campaigns to reach this important segment of the U.S. consumer market. It is hard to believe that not long ago; black consumers were practically ignored in the American marketplace. (Griggs 94)

It was a hot August day as sweat beat down on Thomas Jefferson Brown. He had been working in the field 2 hours before the hot sun had made its presence known. He looked back over the drying field, hoping that this crop would provide for his family better than last years crop had. Thomas watched his oldest son, Nathan, who worked down one row of the field while staring intently at the cotton plants as he picked the cotton. Nathan was a very inquisitive young man who had just yesterday asked his father what it was like being a slave for Mr. Walter Johnson. When his father had told him that in a lot of ways life was so much easier than now, Nathan had given him a look that allowed Thomas to know that his son could

African-American is a politically correct term used to refer to blacks within the United States. The roots of many African-American rites can be traced back to African cultural rites. However, it is important to note that not all blacks in America identify with African cultural roots. Therefore, some of the rites found within what many in the United States call African-American culture stem from Caribbean and other cultural traditions. For this reason, when making end of life decisions or funeral arrangements the “cultural identification, spirituality and the social class” the individual identifies with must be taken into account. The black majority within the United States identifies with Afrocentric traditions and perspectives. For this

While this African humanist philosophy and spiritual ideal, Ubuntu, is native to South African, it is also practiced and recognized in a great deal of sub-Saharan African societies (Oppenheim, 2012). Its existence in different African cultures may have a different name, but the same core of meaning as a guide for humanity exists, according to Oppenheim (2012).

The African American community has sat at the end of a discriminatory lens from the moment they set foot in the United States. For that reason, black communities have undergone the process of community building to ensure that all members feel a sense of belonging.

African Americans spirituals were religious songs that were sung by the African Americans during work, rest, play and church. These songs were of great importance to the African Americans. Singing these spirituals helped them escape the everyday hardships of slavery even if it was just for a moment. Each spiritual had its own meaning but overall, I think that the central meaning of the spirituals was encoded communication. These spirituals were used mainly to talk about escape plans and routes. The spirituals used biblical names to speak of the everyday people around them. The encoded messages about escape were part of the central meaning of these spirituals. I do not think that the spirituals were overall political. My opinion differs in the sense that I think the spirituals were a genius way to communicate with their in-group. The messages in the spirituals were what they needed in order to escape to the freedom that they deserved all along. First, I will give examples of the encoded messages within the spirituals that used biblical names to reference every day people. Then, I will give examples of the communication of escape. Together these both represent the central meaning of encoded communication.

I have traveled all over the world but I have never been down South. Being from New York has also given me a very narrow perspective of African American culture. The purpose of this research project is to gain some understanding of Black culture specifically in the South. College has exposed me to a lot of people who were born and raised in the South and some of my closest friends are southerners. By researching the history, culture, and demographic information of the South, I plan on becoming a more well-informed American.

The African American experience is one that is quite different from other racial/ ethnic groups. The majority of the first African American came over, unwillingly, on ships from various African countries. They were brought to America by white, European settlers to be used as slaves in an order to plant and harvest their crops and make money for the white man. This racial group was treated as if they were property and not people. However, with the ending of the American Civil War, African Americans gained freedom, freedom that not all white American were quite ready to handle. After gaining their freedom came the need for education, jobs and suffrage rights. Now in America this racial group has come a long way, having elected its first African American present for two terms, yet still there are many issues that are very prevalent. This racial group has been fighting their way to equality since the birth of this nation. African Americans have experienced an array of conflict, violence, stereotypes, prejudice acts, and discrimination against them throughout their history in America.

To be direct on Womanism, there are many opinions and misconceptions on what defines not only a woman, but what defines a Black woman. With our freedom being seen as a minority, we have always been over looked because of how America decided what classifies the “minority”: being a woman, and being Black. There are several ways womanism is approached: Traditional Feminism, Black Feminism, Intersectional attributed to Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, Womanism defined by Alice Walker, or Africana Womanism as defined by Clenora Hudson-Weems and expanded by Jaimee A. Swift. The ideology that is most comfortable for me is, Womanism as it is defined by Alice Walker. There are many principles that I favor that Alice Walker stands for.

Most African American family don’t expose their children to thinking that the sky is the limit instead they will hear “both your parent did not go to college, so I would understand if you don’t, may it’s not for you” or “you got a D, at least you pass”. In those common scenario, parents are not pushing their children to excel. Since no one in your family went to college, that doesn’t excuse you. Reach for the stars, thrive to be the best. Be motivated because our ancestors weren’t as fortunate as we are now. However most African Americans in this generation feels as if they cannot thrive, being the best in their class is not an option “they just cannot”. I believe that if African American children was educated more on segregation issues and taught that we are equal no matter what the “white”